Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Focal therapy is a minimally invasive treatment for certain prostate cancers. It uses targeted energy to treat the area containing cancer while leaving the remaining prostate intact. This approach allows for a faster recovery and lowers the risk of certain side effects, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction.

Treatment planning

Your provider will review several test results to determine whether focal therapy is an option for treating your cancer. These may include:

• A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provides detailed images of the prostate
• A prostate biopsy, which tests samples of prostate tissue

About the procedure

There are many approaches to focal therapy of the prostate. It is usually performed under anesthesia. During the procedure, doctors combine real-time ultrasound images with MRI results to locate the tumor. Depending on the approach, they may use high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) or irreversible electroporation (IRE), which uses electrical pulses, to destroy the cancerous tissue.

Recovery and follow-up

Recovery from focal therapy is faster than recovery from traditional surgery to treat prostate cancer. Patients return home the same day and resume normal activities within a few days. In fact, 95% of patients do not require pain medications of any kind.

Temporary side effects may include:

• Mild discomfort
• Burning or discomfort during urination
• Frequent urination

Follow-up care is an important part of treatment. Your provider will monitor your progress with regular PSA blood tests, MRI, and repeat biopsies when needed. These tests help determine how well the treatment worked and check for signs that the cancer has returned or progressed.

Why choose UAB Medicine

The UAB Department of Urology has been delivering focal therapy for patients in the Southeast for almost 10 years and has extensive experience with HIFU and IRE. Our program integrates advanced image-guided biopsy, advanced diagnostic imaging, and targeting for focal therapy.

Our physicians and surgeons are subspecialists in their areas of expertise and have completed advanced fellowship training. U.S. News & World Report ranks UAB’s urology program among the top 50 of its kind nationally. We receive patient referrals from hospitals across Alabama and the Southeast.